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Department of Psychology

The Department of Psychology contributes to the mission of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at The George Washington University by offering both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Psychology is one of the largest undergraduate program in the college of arts and sciences with respect to the number of declared majors. The department has doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology (fully accredited by the American Psychological Association), Cognitive Neuroscience, and Applied Social Psychology. Each year, the department awards approximately 10 Ph.D. degrees. At all levels of instruction, the educational programs make extensive use of and focus upon the Washington, D.C., area's many and varied resources.

There are more than 50 professional staff in the department. About 20 are tenured/tenure track faculty; in addition, there are visiting, part-time, adjunct, and research faculty, as well as graduate teaching and research assistants. The chair of the department is Dr. Paul Poppen.

The faculty conduct research on a wide array of topics in human and animal populations, as well as in human organizations. Many of the research projects are in the area of health psychology or cultural diversity. Most of the research funding in the department comes from the National Institutes of Health, especially the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Funding also comes from the National Science Foundation. The faculty publish in a wide array of professional journals and actively participate in editorial activities. They serve as editors and reviewers for federal granting agencies, top professional journals, and textbook publishers. They also represent the GW Psychology Department at professional conferences around the world.

Mission

The mission of the Psychology Department is to advance the science and practice of psychology through research and its dissemination, and to provide outstanding education and training to undergraduate and doctoral students.

The Department fosters a Scientist/Applied approach to psychology. This is achieved through research and coursework emphasizing psychological knowledge, theories and methods, and also through the application of psychological science to important issues faced by individuals, communities and society.

History

The first Ph.D. awarded by the department was in 1923 to Fred Moss. His dissertation research was "A Study of Animal Drives". Dr. Moss went on to receive an M.D. from The George Washington University. He is best known as the creator of the MCAT, the medical school admissions test that served as a forerunner of numerous aptitude tests such as the SAT. The second Ph.D. was awarded to Thelma Hunt, 1927, on "The Measurement of Social Intelligence". Dr. Hunt also received a medical degree from The George Washington University, and served as department chair from 1938-1963. Over 100 Ph.D.s have been awarded by the department over the years, and our graduates have found success in competitive job searches around the country. Today, the department continues to flourish.

Meet the Department Chair

Paul Poppen, Department of Psychology chair and Applied Social Psychology professor, researches gender, culture and health, especially relevant to HIV/AIDS.